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to mine

to mine

7 8.3
To place explosive devices on land or in water for military use
  • verb
  • /maɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : minar
  • The beaches were mined and covered with insidious, pronged metal devices designed to rip out the bottoms of landing craft.
  • to mine an area
  • to mine roads
  • heavily mined

Examples

  • Switzerland itself was mined, booby-trapped, and well-defended.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • All the roads are either blocked or mined.

  • Two forces have mined the road.

  • The whole approach to the city must be mined.

  • Areas between strong points were either mined or flooded.

    Academic text (1994)
  • I knew the waters were mined, but I figured I could get in, get out without a scratch.

  • Coastal waters were mined and patrolled.

  • You risked your ship entering a mined harbor to pull my men to safety.

  • As I've said, this area was heavily mined in the war and a lot of mines went missing.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The military has mined the area to protect against enemy attacks.

Synonyms

to landmine
vsto mine
7.9

To put explosive devices under the ground to make an area dangerous

covers military placement including deployment at sea rather than only buried devices

Idioms

Something you say when you do not know the answer any more than the other person does

words, not mine
  • Informal
8.6

Something someone else says that you do not agree with

Saying you repeat someone else's words to show you do not agree

Phrasal Verbs

to strip-mine
  • Specialized
1 7.2

Remove the top layers of soil to get minerals using large machines

to surface mine
  • Specialized
1 6.0

To remove earth and rock from the ground to get coal or other minerals

To remove the top layer of ground to get minerals like coal

to strip mine
  • Specialized
6.6

To remove large areas of earth and rock to get minerals near the surface

to strip-mine
  • Literature
7.1

Take large amounts of data quickly from a website or database to sell

Compounds

29 4.1

A bomb buried in the ground that explodes when someone steps on or moves it

26 2.8

A place underground where people dig coal

gold mine
  • Informal
21 3.2

A source of many useful things like information or money

9 3.3

A place where people dig to find gold

4 3.7

A place where people dig copper from the ground

4 4.0

A place underground where people dig out salt for use

3 3.4

A place where people dig to take silver from the ground

A North American union for people who work in mines

strip mine
  • Specialized
2 6.0

An open area where workers remove earth and rock to get minerals near the surface

mine disposal
  • Specialized
1 6.1

Making landmines safe or removing them

A union that represents miners in the United States

claymore mine
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small bomb that explodes in one direction to hit people nearby

1 5.3

A mine where workers dig sulfur from the ground

mine detector
  • Specialized
1 4.9

A device that finds explosive mines buried on land or underwater

mine host
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A man who welcomes and looks after guests at an inn

floating mine
  • Specialized
8.2

A bomb that floats on water and explodes when a ship hits it

A topic that causes strong arguments and trouble

magnetic mine
  • Specialized
8.1

Underwater bomb that explodes when it senses a ship's metal hull

marine mine
  • Specialized
7.7

An underwater bomb placed to damage or sink ships

mine cage
  • Specialized
8.0

An enclosed platform that moves people and supplies up and down a mine shaft

mine pig
  • Archaic
9.7

Pure iron made directly from iron ore without recycled metal

mine run
  • Archaic
8.4

Not special or interesting

A bomb hidden in the ground that explodes when stepped on or driven over

hidden gold mine
  • Informal
6.0

A place or thing that has valuable information not easy to find

run-of-the-mine
  • Informal
7.2

Common and not special

salt mine
  • Informal
7.1

A joking name for a job or workplace where people do hard, boring work

How Dangerous

to mine
  • Specialized
7 8.3

Surface Forms

mine infinitive
mined past
mined past participle
mining present participle
mines third person singular

Etymology

Mine meaning 'to place explosives' comes from the device called a mine, so to mine an area is to put hidden explosive devices there to block or damage people and vehicles.